Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Colebrookdale Township and Boyertown will soon return to a familiar topic of conversation between the two neighbors: a possible merger of their police departments.

At a recent Colebrookdale commissioners meeting, Township Manager Cindy Conrad said Boyertown has approached the township about holding merger talks for the second time in two years and the third time in the past decade.

The board agreed to renew the discussion, with President Todd M. Gamler noting that it doesn’t cost anything to talk.

The police forces have historically worked together. Because the township nearly surrounds Boyertown, Colebrookdale officers often have to drive through the borough on the way to calls.

A new study is about to begin that would consider merging the following police departments: York City, Dover, East Manchester, Manchester, Springettsbury and Spring Garden townships, Manchester, Mount Wolf and West York boroughs. Several of these departments are already part of regional police forces but will consider further consolidation to make one super-regional police force. Benefits include elimination of duplicate administrative positions, more combined personnel and access to specialties that some of the smaller departments now lack.

A state grant of $39,000 will go toward the $78,000 cost of the study. YorkCounts, a local nonprofit group, is picking up the other $39,000.

York City Police Captain Russ Tschopp said “It would make sense to work together.” Captain Tschopp also stated he thinks public safety would be improved.

We agree. Two Roy’s Rants thumbs up for putting petty politics aside and doing the right thing by taxpayers. Public safety should be the number one concern.